Orioles vs. Dogers game 1

Orioles manager Buck Showalter spent a good chunk of time yesterday discussing his relationship with manager Don Mattingly and the Dodgers skipper did the same prior to Friday’s series-opener in Baltimore.

“Wow. We go back to [Double-A] Nashville,” Mattingly said of the friendship between him and Showalter. “That’s a long time. I remember coming in and going to Nashville. I didn’t really know Buck until then. They had a great time the year before, Balboni and Pat Tabler, and I think Buck set the record for most hits that year. I remember something like that. Just seeing his swing and stuff like that. I was probably 18 or 19, and just seeing his swing and all that stuff.”

The pair became friends more over time than as Minor League teammates, with Mattingly appreciating Showalter when he became the Yankees manager.

“The view he had on talent was always good,” he said. “He always knew who could play and who couldn’t, and he knew how you were supposed to play. That’s what was always kind of impressive with Buck. He knew young talent and how you were supposed to play the game.”

“I told people before, I really feel like he was the guy you turned things around over there [in New York]. I know Joe [Torre] gets a lot of credit, credit with the guys who came in there. He really was the guy who turned that thing around, him and Stick. He did a great job of knowing who was coming up, knowing [Derek] Jeter was going to be special. He would talk about Jeter and [Jorge] Posada and [Andy] Pettitte, Mariano [Rivera], and he was right on on all of them. At that time, they’re all in the Minor Leagues, and you’re going OK, yeah, you’re listening. You’ve seen a lot of guys coming through, then all of a sudden, that group was a group I remember him just talking about like these guys are coming and I give him a lot of credit for seeing that.

He changed the whole attitude. The guys he brought in. He started off attitude-wise. He brought in Spike Owen, guys you wouldn’t think about. Spike Owen, a guy who played the game right. Mike Gallego, then we get O’Neill. Then we slip in [Wade] Boggsie into the mix as we got closer, Jim Abbott. Black Jack McDowell, guys that went about it the right way, and he changed the whole attitude. That’s where we were at at that time. We needed to have the whole tone changed around our club. He did that. He did a great job.”

I appreciate Buck’s ability to spot talent, however it amazes me how many chances Arrieta has gotten and not produced with any consistency in the Majors. I appreciate how good his stuff is but he can’t seem to execute with much success. I sure hope Steve Johnson gets well soon. All he does is win. Time to trade Jake and get a third base prospect. Manny will be playing short in a couple years and we do not have a top prospect to play 3B. Gausman and Bundy are going to get a shot next year to make the rotation. If one or both make it guys like Jake and Tillman and Britton would bring us a good player or two in a trade. McFarland has potential and hopefully Wada will be back to contribute. While this is speculation, there no doubt will not be room for all of them. Trade before the All-Star break this year and then again next year, keeping our minor league AAA team strong or picking up a good veteran or two. Everybody needs pitching, Time to move the guys that just can’t be solid rotation guys. Remember Bedard and Guthrie etc.talent but not able to win consistently.

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